Tools of the trade: Grasses

Rancher Paul Schwennesen carves out a niche by raising Double Check Ranch cattle on natural grasses alone, without adding supplemental feed. It's a system, he notes, that is newly popular but is perhaps closer to the way things were done a century ago. At pastures near Winkelman, Schwennesen encourages native grasses to grow naturally.

Alfalfa

The cattle graze on a mix of mostly native grasses and shrubs, but Schwennesen still adds a smattering of alfalfa for its nutritional value. The alfalfa, which is typically grown in fields, then cut and gathered as feed, grows from seed amid the other grasses at the Double Check, making it part of the whole "mixed greens" diet.

Amaranth

A native plant that grows wild in parts of Arizona, amaranth is a favorite of the cattle at the Double Check. It is often found near riverbeds and in soil that has been disturbed. It has become more common in some parts of the state in part because of overgrazing of other grasses and vegetation, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Amaranth is also used by people as an herb and for its seeds.

Mesquite

The native tree grows in thick bosks near rivers and would take over the pastures at the Double Check if not controlled, Schwennesen says. Cattle like to graze on smaller shoots, and they get protein from the seeds, so instead of eradicating mesquite, the Double Check clears the pastures and lets the cattle eat what grows back. The trees that remain also provide shade and habitat for wildlife.